Kim Winser's working life has never been less than hectic. True to form, just days into her new job as president and chief executive of the venerable British fashion label Aquascutum, she is already facing an awesome deadline. Next week the photo shoot of a new multi-million-pound worldwide advertising campaign is due to begin, and she hasn't quite finalised which male and female celebritieswill front it. Or if she has, she's not about to divulge them just yet.

So, in her temporary office at Aquascutum's headquarters inRegent Street, London, we muse on the possibilities. Right up there are Kate Winslet as the girl and Jude Law or Guy Ritchie as the boy. Or they might be Italian or French or American. They might even be members of the British royal family.

"It's about finding the right people, and to do that you have to understand the personality of the brand, which is total elegance with style and energy, " says Winser. "Then you choose the models who reflect the brand. The ad campaign is absolutely vital because it's the communication of the message. Winslet is very elegant and has an energy about her. She is ageless and her look is acceptable to a wide age group."

Winser is determined to feminise the label, which has its roots in menswear. Its founder, John Emary, claimed to have invented the first waterproof woollen cloth in 1851 - hence aqua (water) and scutum (shield) - amid keen competition from other tailors of the time. Two years later he launched men's coats that were worn by officers in the Crimean War and, later, supplied to soldiers in the First World War - where, for obvious reasons, they became known as trench coats. The waterproof fabric received a royal warrant in the late 1890s when it was used to make a raincoat for Edward VII. Sir Winston Churchill was a fan. And Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing wore it when they conquered Mount Everest in 1953.

All of which has been crucial in establishing Aquascutum as a British heritage brand. But Helensburgh-born Winser, 47 - who joined Marks and Spencer straight from school as a management trainee, stayed for 20 years and went on to become the first female director to be appointed to its board - has done her research and uncovered Aquascutum's girlie credentials.

Now she is preparing to pull in a new generation of female customers in Europe, Asia and the US - much in the same way as she did at the Scottish knitwear label Pringle, where she was chief executive for five years until November last year. She turned the Hawick-based label into a global womenswear brand, increasing sales from pounds-10m to pounds-100m worldwide, and was awarded the OBE for services to the textiles industry in the New Year honours list.

One of the first things Winser did on joining Pringle, whose original ambassador in the 1950s was the ultra-elegant prima ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn, was to ditch the golfer Nick Faldo as its public face in favour of the model Sophie Dahl. Similarly, her first strategy at Aquascutum is to highlight its association with iconic women. These include the Hollywood starlets Sophia Loren, Greta Garbo and Lauren Bacall who, during the 1940s and 1950s, sported Aquascutum trench coats alongside their male counterparts Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Kirk Douglas and even Sean Connery. The collar-up, nipped-in-waist look chimed perfectly with the spirit of Dior's New Look and turned Aquascutum's fortunes around. The female appeal of the trench coat endures to this day. And the actresses' Italian, Swedish and American nationalities are the reason Winser is not ruling out celebrities from those countries.

"Heritage is vital, particularly when you're up against the global brands, because it's part of the reason the Americans and Asians love you, " says Winser. "It's what people want to be reminded of."

But there's much more to do between signing the celebrities and the launch of the nationwide advertising campaign this Christmas. Winser is keen to develop the existing womenswear collection which, although strong in trousers and tops as well as coats, is ripe for expansion. "The men's collection is more advanced than the women's, and has some very beautiful suits, shirts and ties, " she says. "But the potential for womenswear is so much wider. In women's there's a very large spend on accessories and we haven't really launched accessories yet."

Bags and shoes will come first. It's clear that these - as well as knitwear - are her passions. She stands up to show off her stunning black cashmere Donna Karan belted sleeveless dress and full-length cardigan, which she wears with bare legs, six-inch black Yves Saint Laurent stilettos, a huge Bottega Veneta bag and a DKNY cobweb cashmere scarf that she says is essential for transforming any outfit from day to eveningwear. She apologises for not wearing her own label and says it's because she hasn't had the time to go shopping yet. She got the tan by hovering around her back garden while watching her seven-year-old son playing football with his friends. Winser has been single since divorcing her husband at the age of 27, and says she is "far too busy" for romance. She even takes paperwork with her to the Mayfair hairdresser she has been loyal to for more than 20 years. "I still find myself

apologising to Mario for not chatting to him, but he says he's delighted to have a bit of peace and quiet, " she jokes.

It's clear that this charismatic Scot, who has been named Europe's third most successful businesswoman by the Wall Street Journal, is relishing her highest-powered role to date as she declares: "We'll be doing scarves by Christmas." She's been in the job just three weeks but has already electrified the atmosphere at Aquascutum. For days she has been run off her well-heeled feet giving interviews to the American, Japanese, Italian and French media. When she was interviewed about her job on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she even managed to talk presenter John Humphrys into volunteering to be one of her models.

Yet Winser knows she has a serious job to do. In November the Japanese equity firm Kaleido bought a sizeable stake in its compatriot company Renown, which has owned Aquascutum since 1990. Winser was appointed at the behest of Kaleido's chairman to supervise a pounds-47m investment package aimed at making the label profitable again within three years. "The difference between this and my role at Pringle is that here I decide on what we do with that investment, " she says. "Over the next six weeks, I will pull together the plans for the next three years and take them across to Japan for final discussion. I'll be managing and deciding on the investment. How we use that money is very much in discussion. I want to make Aquascutum an international, global, hugely exciting brand."

For three seasons under its young design team of Graeme Fidler and Michael Herz, Aquascutum has been showing its mens and womenswear collections twice yearly at London Fashion Week;

the spring/summer 2007 collections will be shown in September. Aquascutum is unique in having a solid manufacturing base in Britain and Italy. Its fabrics - whether printed chenille, silk or linen - are made exclusively for the label.

The autumn/winter 2006 collection, shown in February, has been highly acclaimed in the fashion press for its fresh, modern take on the company's heritage. For women, the babydoll dresses, collarless ottoman shapes, high-collared cossack coats with raised waists, washed silk trenches, silver flower and leaf embroidery that borrows from British military regalia, Empireline dresses and deconstructed trench coats and jackets all get Winser's approval, though she says she will be doing some tweaking.

It's possible she will decide to split the two collections in order to highlight the label's change of direction. That and determining which international markets to move into and when are just some of the key decisions she will soon be making. The markets she chooses will have an impact on where the collections will be shown. Winser took Pringle to Milan for the first time in its 190-year history, but says she is happy to continue showing Aquascutum in London for the moment.

It is inevitable that, whatever Winser decides, she will take Aquascutum head-to-head with other British heritage brands such as Mulberry, Daks and Burberry, which have also recently undergone transformations and are enjoying worldwide attention.

Pringle, too, will become a competitor: Winser is keen to develop Aquascutum's knitwear range. The company already has a contract with the Scottish knitwear manufacturer John Tulloch Ltd, which originated in Shetland and is now based in Selkirk, to produce some of the gorgeous, chunky men's cardigans in its current collection. Winser is keen to develop the knitwear further.

Sodoes she now see Pringle as a rival? "It certainly is, in knitwear, " she says. "Although they do a very nice fashion trench coat, it won't ever be a huge collection because, unlike Aquascutum, it's not what the label does. But in knitwear and in cashmere coats ? Pringle do some very nice cashmere coats. So yes, there will be competition.

"I enjoy that - I thrive on it. It's fun to go to see what's going on at Prada, Louis Vuitton and Burberry. You'll do a better job and that's good. I don't feel negative about being in competition at all."

While at Pringle, Winser gave the Hawick knitters enough work to allow the factory to expand its workforce from 240 to 270. When pressed, however, she insists it's "way too early to say" if she intends to include more Scottishmade knitwear in Aquascutum's collections.

"I love the nice, big, generous, hand-knitted pieces we have and I definitely want to develop the knitwear, " she says. "I adore the heavy, cable sticked, floppy look for autumn.

"We have a reputation for nice ladies' trousers, so to do some really great sweaters is going to be perfect. Also, we do some lovely cashmere blazers in gorgeous doe colours, so to have cashmere sweaters in the same shades is going to be beautiful."

Retaining the company's royal warrant is another matter she must address, because it is absolutely vital for attracting the overseas market. "Royal warrants are really important, especially overseas, as they are seen as the ultimate seal of quality, " she says. Aquascutum's royal warrant, currently held by the late Queen Mother, runs out next year - which means Winser has only a few months to persuade a member of the British royal family to purchase an item and retain the company's royal warrant for a further few years.

"To earn a royal warrant the royal has to shop with you, and to retain it they must continue shopping with you, " she explains. Who would be her preference? "I'd love Prince Charles, or William or Harry, " she says. "Actually, probably Prince Charles, as it was he who gave me my OBE."

Kate Winslet and Prince Charles? Now there's an irresistible prospect.

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